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Single polls about same-sex marriages (SSM) & civil unions

From 2000 to 2003-APR

Sponsored link.

Single polls:

2000-FEB: U.S. data: A Harris Poll released in early 2000-FEB showed:

57% oppose marriage by a gay couple; 15% approve.

55% oppose marriage by a lesbian couple; 16% approve.

Even at these values, pposition to same-sex marriage appears to be far below the level of opposition to marriage
of mixed-race couples in 1967 when the U.S. Supreme Court declared the remaining
16 state
miscegenation laws unconstitutional.

2000-MAR: California data: A series of polls were taken during late
2000-FEB by the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Examiner.
Another poll was taken by the Public Policy Institute of California
during 2000-FEB. The polls asked the subject's opinion on Proposition 22 that
would state that "Only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or
recognized." The proposition was passed by the voters on 2000-MAR-7.

Group

Favor Prop 22

Oppose Prop 22

No opinion

Overall results

55 to 57%

~38%

~7%

2001-NOV: Poll by VOTE.com:VOTE.com conducted a Internet poll concerning a proposed amendment
to the U.S. Constitution that would declare that a marriage can only be
between one man and one woman. By that time, the federal government
and many states hadDefense of Marriage Acts (DOMAs) which require this.
However, their constitutionality is questionable. They could be overturned
by court actions. If the prohibition of same-sex marriage were embedded in
the U.S. Constitution, then it could not be as easily overturned. A second
amendment to the Constitution would then be required to repeal the first.

Donna Payne of the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC) said:

"This is an unnecessary attack on lesbian and
gay Americans that would create a constitutionally mandated second class of
American citizens."

Visitors to the HRC website were asked a somewhat loaded question: whether they
wanted to "Preserve the traditional definition of marriage" by voting
Yes, or preferred that lawmakers "Don't rewrite the Constitution
to bash gays," by voting No. 138,130 people voted: 55% in favor
of the amendment and 45% opposed. It is important to realize that the voters
are self-selected and may not represent an accurate cross-section of the
American public. 1

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2003-APR: Massachusetts data: By a slim majority, most residents of
the state favored allowing same-sex couples to marry.

Item

In favor

Opposed

No answer

All ages and genders

50%

44%

6%

18 to 39

62

33

5

40 to 64

53

42

5

Over 65

21

69

10

Women

55

38

7

Men

45

50

5

The poll was taken by KRC Communications Research for Globe/WBZ. Margin of
error: 5%

2003-APR-11 to 22: New Hampshire poll: The University of New
Hampshire Survey Center conducted a poll of 509 adults in the state.
Margin of error is 4.4%. Some findings:

Item

% in favor

% opposed

Same sex marriage should be permitted

54%

42%

Same sex couples should have the same hospital
visitation rights as close relatives

88%

Same sex couples should be allowed family medical leave
time

78%

On legalizing same-sex marriage, 65% of women but only 43% of men were in
favor. Seventy percent of subjects aged 18 to 29 years favored same-sex
marriage; only 32% of those over 69 were in favor. 2

References:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still accessible today.